An international search effort has been launched to find Paul McCartney’s iconic Höfner bass guitar.
The instrument, which is being hailed as “the most important bass in history”, is presumed to have disappeared shortly after the Beatles' iconic rooftop performance in 1969.
Bought for NZ$63.50 in Hamburg, Germany, the Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass has become one of the most recognisable basses in the world.
It was used to record much of the Beatles' early albums and was played during the band’s iconic Ed Sullivan Show performance - which rocketed the band to fame in the US.
Now, 54 years after it went missing, Paul McCartney has urged Höfner to track down his beloved bass, BBC reports.
"It's not clear where it was stored, who might have been there,” said Nick Wass, who is heading the project.
"For most people, they will remember it... it's the bass that made the Beatles," Wass said.
It’s believed the bass could fetch millions at auction, given McCartney’s other bandmates' guitars sold in the six-figure range.
However, those searching say McCartney just wants his bass back.
"Höfner's hunch is that someone will come forward purely on goodwill, and whoever has it probably doesn't even realise what it is they've got,” Scott Jones, who is joining the search, said.
"It would be nice if it could go on public display one day - and if the only way someone is going to come forward is to make some money from it, then so be it, because at least it would be found.
"But ultimately, we're just doing this to get Paul his guitar back. We know via Nick and Höfner that it's what he's always wanted."
The campaign has been live for less than 48 hours, and Höfner told the BBC they’ve already received hundreds of leads.
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